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Ishtar AI Research Lab
Publishing production LLMOps research, reference architectures, and evaluation tooling. Publishing new research artifacts and reference builds.

Every engagement follows our structured methodology, ensuring security, compliance, and measurable outcomes from day one.

1

Discovery + KPI Definition

Week 1

Activities

  • Stakeholder Interviews: Deep dive with key stakeholders to understand workflows, pain points, and success criteria
  • Success Metrics Definition: Define clear, measurable KPIs (e.g., "reduce compliance research time by 60%")
  • Risk Assessment: Identify security, compliance, and operational risks upfront
  • Scope Definition: Clearly define what's in scope and what's out of scope

Deliverables

  • Discovery report with findings and recommendations
  • KPI definition document
  • Risk assessment matrix
  • Project scope and timeline
2

Architecture + Security Review

Week 2

Activities

  • Technical Architecture Design: Design system architecture with scalability, reliability, and security in mind
  • Security Threat Modeling: Identify threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies
  • Compliance Review: Ensure architecture meets compliance requirements (SOC 2, GDPR, FINRA, etc.)
  • Integration Planning: Plan integrations with existing enterprise systems

Deliverables

  • Architecture diagram and documentation
  • Threat model document
  • Security controls matrix
  • Integration specification
  • Compliance alignment document
3

Build + Eval Baseline

Weeks 3-6

Activities

  • Development Sprints: Agile development with regular demos and feedback
  • Evaluation Framework Setup: Build evaluation pipelines for continuous quality assessment
  • Baseline Metrics Establishment: Establish baseline performance metrics for comparison
  • Security Implementation: Implement security controls, encryption, and access controls
  • Testing: Unit tests, integration tests, and security testing

Deliverables

  • Working system with core functionality
  • Evaluation framework and baseline metrics
  • Security controls implemented
  • Test results and quality reports
  • Initial documentation
4

Pilot with HITL + Monitoring

Week 7

Activities

  • Human-in-the-Loop Checkpoints: Implement approval workflows and review checkpoints
  • Real-World Testing: Deploy to pilot users in production-like environment
  • Performance Monitoring: Monitor system performance, errors, and user feedback
  • Iteration: Rapid iteration based on feedback and monitoring data

Deliverables

  • Pilot deployment with real users
  • Monitoring dashboards and alerts
  • Performance metrics and feedback
  • Iteration plan based on findings
5

Production Rollout + Governance + Iteration

Week 8+

Activities

  • Gradual Rollout: Phased rollout to production users
  • Governance Framework: Establish ongoing governance, monitoring, and evaluation
  • Continuous Improvement: Regular evaluation, optimization, and feature additions
  • Knowledge Transfer: Training and documentation handoff

Deliverables

  • Production deployment
  • Governance framework and runbooks
  • Evaluation reports and KPI tracking
  • Documentation and training materials
  • Ongoing support plan

Artifacts Produced

Throughout the engagement, we produce comprehensive documentation and artifacts:

Threat Model Documents

Comprehensive threat modeling with identified risks and mitigation strategies

Evaluation Reports

Baseline metrics, ongoing evaluation results, and performance analysis

Runbooks

Operational runbooks for common tasks, troubleshooting, and incident response

Architecture Diagrams

Visual documentation of system architecture, data flows, and integrations

Security Documentation

Security controls, access policies, and compliance documentation

API Documentation

Complete API documentation with examples and integration guides

Timeline Expectations

Typical duration for each phase:

  • Discovery: 1 week
  • Architecture: 1 week
  • Build: 3-4 weeks (varies by scope)
  • Pilot: 1 week
  • Production: 1-2 weeks (phased rollout)

Total Duration: 6-9 weeks for most engagements

Factors Affecting Timeline:

  • Complexity of integrations
  • Custom requirements
  • Security and compliance requirements
  • Customer feedback and iteration cycles

Ready to Get Started?

Let's discuss your project and how our implementation method can deliver results for your organization.